Apple Cake

One of my favorite things about W is that he's very thoughtful when it comes to food.  He called me from our college convenience store when they had my favorite ice cream flavor in stock, and he often brings me back cookies or other treats from work to this day.  While we were dating he had a piece of cake at a church event and thought it was delicious- so he brought a slice back for me after a long day of class.  The cake has a crunchy exterior but a nice soft, cakey interior that's lightly spiced.  I tracked down the baker for the recipe and she graciously shared it.  

I recommend Granny Smith apples for the cake.  I usually increase the amount of apples to 2 1/2 cups to make myself feel like it's healthier.  I always make it in a bundt pan cuz I don't have a tube pan.  The batter is really thick (almost cookie-like) so don't be alarmed when you're scooping it into the pan.  I don't make it unless I know we're going to be able to share it- and people don't seem to mind when I bring it.  

Thanks to Judy M. for sharing this recipe!  

Apple Ring Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional- I love walnuts but nut allergies make me nervous so I usually omit them.)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
2 cups peeled, chopped tart apples
Powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 10 inch tube pan; set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into large
bowl. Stir in walnuts. Combine granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and
vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in apples. Stir into flour mixture just
until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

3. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes
out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from
pan; cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over cake.